4
Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Cameron will not take Civil Service test
Continued from page 1
mission has so far refused.
“He deserves a promotional exam,” said Kennedy.
“There is no two ways about it.”
The commission has instead offered an open competitive exam for the position, opening the job up to
candidates from around the state with considerably less
experience than Cameron, who has served with the City
of Newburgh Police Department for 19 years.
Cameron has refused to sign up to take the open exam
on principle, contending the commission’s requirements
are unfair, with stricter requirements for city employees.
In order to qualify to take the promotional exam for
the job of police chief, the commission requires candidates already working within the department to have at
least five years of experience as a lieutenant. Cameron
has two.
“Their claim is no one is eligible to take the test
because of the five-year rule,” Kennedy said, adding
the commission may modify test requirements if they
choose. “But the rules are inequitable. They are very
geared toward outside employees.”
The bar is set lower for candidates taking the open
exam: four years of college, four years as a police officer
and two years of second-line supervisory experience; or
an associate’s degree, six years as a full-time officer, with
two years of second-line supervisory experience.
Cameron, appointed acting police chief after Chief
Michael Ferrara retired a year ago and then provisional
chief in August, has served as a police officer, detective,
sergeant and lieutenant with the department.
Discrimination against city employees?
“I adamantly disagree with the fact that in order for
an existing City of Newburgh employee to take a promotional civil service exam they must meet more stringent
requirements than someone who has never worked
for the city,” Cameron said in a statement Tuesday. “I
Town of Newburgh
DIAL•A•BUS SERVICE
1.00 Per Ride One Way
$
• Children under 6 Free
• Children under 16 must be
accompanied by an adult
• Senior Citizens half-price (60 & over)
Fully Equipped for the Handicapped
For reservations of info, call 564-6084
Between 8 and 12 a.m. Monday thru Friday
Operating Hours Mon. - Fri.
8:15 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
SATURDAY SEASONAL MORNING RUN
Advance Notice Needed For Reservations
Allow extra time for additional rider pick-ups
believe that this is irrational and contradicts the spirit
of civil service laws. I refuse to set a precedent that hardworking, dedicated, proven city employees have their
service time ignored.”
Cameron described “employees that are overworked,
underpaid, constantly under stress and rarely appreciated” as nonetheless dedicated to the city. “It is a sad day
for Newburgh when this is not recognized.”
Cameron said he was willing to lose his position as
chief of police, if necessary. “I have served my profession
honorably, with integrity and with principles throughout my career,” he wrote. “I will not go against any of
those traits to maintain my current position. However,
I will continue to remain dedicated to supporting our
officers and improving our service and relationship with
the community.”
Richard Gadbois, Vera Best and Thomas Murphy
form the city Civil Service Commission. Repeated calls to
all three members of the commission were not returned
for this story.
“In talking with each of you at different times, I have
been told that it was not fair to change the rules to fit one
candidate,” said Kennedy in a Jan. 27 letter addressed to
commission members.
“However, I make the case that the current rules for
the internal promotional test are not only unfair, but in
fact, discriminate against qualified, internal candidates
whether they all want to apply or not.”
In the letter, Kennedy notes the current rules were
created when the police department was larger, with a
deputy chief position - another position that, with two
years on the job, could have qualified Cameron to take
the promotional exam.
There has been no deputy police position since layoffs
in 2010, Kennedy pointed out. Before that time, she said,
“there was a realistic path to promotion.” Since then,
she wrote, “lieutenants have had to assume the duties of
the deputy chief, but none of them get any credit for that
experience in the current civil service requirements.”
“If the Civil Service Commission of City of Newburgh
wants to be fair, then the current rules for the promotional civil service exam must be changed to reflect the
situation as it has been since 2010.”
Opportunity for advancement
New York Civil Service Law is complex.
However, Section 52 states, “vacancies in positions in
the competitive class shall be filled, as far as practicable,
by promotion from among persons holding competitive
class positions in a lower grade in the department in
which the vacancy exists, provided that such lower grade
positions are in direct line of promotion, as determined
by the state civil service department or municipal commission.”
The City of Middletown, which also has its own civil
service commission, requires two years of police lieutenant experience for the promotional test compared
to Newburgh’s five-year requirement. Middletown only
offers a promotional test for the position.
Towns and villages rely on Orange County’s Human
Resources Department to administer civil service exams,
but may request whether a promotional or open exam is
offered.
Continued on page 29
Police Blotter
NEW WINDSOR POLICE
Kristen P. Baisley, 32 of Pine Bush was arrested on a bench warrant. She made cash bail before Town Justice Noreen Calderin.
She returned to court J